The Jesuit vow of poverty – going deeper
Fr General promulgates the revised SOP-IAF on 14 November 2023, the feast of St Joseph Pignatelli and the birth centenary of the Servant of God, Fr Pedro Arrupe
By Sebastian Jeerakassery, SJ - General Treasurer
The 36th General Congregation in 2016 had mandated Father General, Arturo Sosa, to implement revisions of the Statutes on Religious Poverty in the Society of Jesus and the Instruction on the Administration of Goods (SOP-IAG). For this purpose, he appointed a Commission in January 2020 under the leadership of the then General Treasurer, Fr Thomas McClain (United States Midwest Province). Fathers Cristián del Campo (Province of Chile), Michael Lewis (Southern Africa Province), Benoît Malvaux (French speaking Western Europe/Procurator General), and Paul Sun (Chinese Province) were appointed as members of this commission. In addition, Fathers Charles Lasrado (Karnataka Province), Agustín Moreira (Province of Chile), Michel N’Tangu (Central Africa Province) and myself were appointed as advisors to this Commission. I am grateful to all these Jesuits for the time, energy and expertise generously given in carrying out the mandate they received.
Fr Sebastian Jeerakassery, SJ.
After two years of intense consultation, in December 2021, the commission presented to Fr General the revised documents. After consulting his Counsellors and drawing inspiration from the reports on the process of the examen of our way of living the vow of poverty from across the global Society (2021-22), he wrote the introduction to the new Statutes on Religious Poverty in the Society of Jesus and Instruction for Administration and Finances (SOP-IAF 2023). Today, on 14 November 2023, the feast of St Joseph Pignatelli and the birth centenary of the Servant of God, Fr Pedro Arrupe, Fr General has promulgated the new SOP-IAF.
The Commission took into consideration the consequences of a rapidly changing world on the instruments of financial administration while suggesting changes in the new SOP-IAF. Hence, the revised IAF presents some substantial changes in order to clarify and adapt the financial administration in the Society to the needs of the modern world.
I believe this revised version of these documents will help us, Jesuits, to live our vow of Poverty in a more profound and meaningful way.I hope that it will also make our temporal administration more effective and transparent.
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